METAL TRACK FOR RAILWAYS. 



(PreUminarij Eeport on the Uao of Metal Track on Railways in Foreign Countries.) 



LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



Brooklyn, N. Y., February 1, 1889. 



Sir: In accordauce with tbe arraugeaients made some time ago, I 

 have been eogaged for several months in collecting material to be used 

 in the preparation of a report to the Department of Agriculture upon 

 the nse of metal track npon railways in foreign countries j and I beg to 

 submit, herewith, a brief i)reliiuinary report, showing the scope of my in- 

 vestigations, and giving a general idea of the extent to which such track 

 is in use. Attention has for some years past been directed by the De- 

 partment t) the destruction of the forests of this country; and as the 

 consumption of timber for railway ties is very great (as shown in Bulle- 

 tin 1, of the Forestry Division, on the '• Eelation of Railwaj^s to Forest- 

 ry,"' and subsequently in a paper by me presented at the annual meet- 

 ing ol the American Forestry Congress, at Atlanta, Ga., in December, 

 1888), suggestions have from time to time been made that some form of 

 metal track should be introduced, both to effect an economy in the con- 

 sumption of our timber resources and to give a more efficient, durable, and 

 economical track. The matter has, however, been given very little prac- 

 tical attention, and it has been generally taken for granted that the use 

 of such metal track in several foreign countries (of which the home and 

 foreign technical journals give occasional information) has been entirely 

 experimental. This is an erroneous impression, the facts being that ex- 

 periments begun many years ago have led to the adoption of various 

 systems of metal track ia different countries. A number of the systems 

 tried have proved fairl^^ efficient in service, if not economical; the sys- 

 tems whicli have combined efficiency and economy are few, but such a 

 combination has been effected, and there is no reason why it cannot bo 

 adapted to and applied in American practice. The experiments are 

 still in progress, and careful records are being kept of the results ob- 

 tained, both with regard to economy and efficiency ; but the questions 

 of the advantages and the feasibility of metal track have passed be- 

 yond the experimental stage, and metal track for railways has been 

 brought to a very practical issue. 



My first proceeding, after the preparation of the report had been de- 

 cided upon, was to draw up a list of leading questions respecting the 

 subject of my investigations and to have the list printed. A copy of 

 this list is appended hereto. Personal letters have been written to 



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